Expansion comb or reed for warping or beaming machines



(No Model.)

T.G.EN1TWISTLE.

EXPANSIONV 00MB 0R REED. POR WARPING 0R BEVAMING MACHINES, en.

No. 252,089.` Patented Jen. 10,1882.`

wenn

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS c. ENTWLSTLE, oE LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

EXPANSIN COMB OR REED FOR WARPING R BEAMING MACHINES, dc.

SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 252,089, dated January 1.0, 1882.

i Application filed September 27, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. ENTWISTLE,

of Lowell, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Expansion Combs or Reeds for Warping or Beaming Machines and other Purposes, of which the following is a specification. i

The ordinary expansion-comb used 011 warpv ing or beaming machines, and on slashers for the purpose of guiding the threads to their proper places upon the beamen which they are wound, consists of a series of teeth or dents mounted at their lower ends on a wire or rod,

' on which they can slide to and from one another,

in combination with a number of spirally-coiled Wire springs arranged lengthwise of the comb,

between the coils or turns of which sprin gs the dentsextend. When thespringsareexpanded, by means of suitable screws or other stretching devices which drawupon the ends of the springs, their coils separate, and consequently the dents are drawn apart, so as to leave wider spaces between them. `When,on the other hand, the springs contract, the dents are, brought closer together, and in this way any desired numbei` of dents can be brought into use. The main objection to the use of this form of expansion-comb is that the springs are apt to become'weak at theends wherel the tension isapplied to them, so that their coils or folds open and the springs losein a measure, their resiliency at those points, thus becoming unfitfor use. Even under the best conditions the springs will expand more toward theirends than at the center, thus laying the selvage-threadsupon the beam more loosely and more widely separated than the threads which are nearer the center.-

It is my objectto remedy theseand other objections, and to obtain an expansion-comb in which the expansion `and contraction shall be.

the same for every part ot' the comb.

To this end Itorin the comb of a series of dent-carrying sections jointed or hinged together in such manner as to `permit them to move on their hinges in a plane transverse to the plane in which the dents stand. The sections can thus be either straightened out, so as to constitute a straight bar, or they may be set in zigzag fashion, so as to contract theworking length of the bar. The dents set in the sections are widest apart when the sectional bar is straightened out. When the sections,

however, are brought into zigzag order the dents no longer stand in a straight line at right angles to thethread; but the line of dents of' each sect-ion stands obliquely to the threads, so as to present less space'between eachtwo dents for the passage ot a thread. The less obtuse the angle at which the sections stand to one another the more the comb is contracted and the greater the number of teeth brought within a given space. To arrange this sectional jointed comb so that the expansion and contraction'shall be thesame throughout its length, I place it in a box, oneside of which is movable to and from the other. With the sections I combine springs,` which tend to draw the sections out of line with one another. When the movable side of the box, by suitable devices, is drawn toward the other side the sec' box. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the salue, with the movable rail broken away. Fig. 3 is a plan of the under side ofthe comb-box. Figs. 4 and 5 are a plan and an elevation, on enlarged scale, of a portion of the comb and combbox.

The comb or reed is composed ot a suitable number of bar-sections, A, jointed together at c, and each armed with dents or teeth B, of wire, set firmly in the tops of the sections.

The box for holding the comb consists of a bottom platey, provided on one of its longer edges with a fixed upright ilange or rail, D, which forms one of the sides of the box. The other side is formed by a parallel rail or bar, E, movablein parallel planes to and from the stationary side. It is for this purpose held to the baseplate U by headed studs or guide'- pins b, which pass down through slots c in the base-plate. The movement of the rail or bar E to and from the other rail may be accomplished by a variety of means. The mechanism for this purpose (shown in the drawings)I consists of vibratory an gle-levers d, pivoted at d to the under face of the base-plate, and engagin g pins c, which project from lugs e', formed on the bottom of the rail E, and enter slots e2 in the adjoining arms of the angle or bell-l crank levers. The other arms of the said 1evers, at their outer ends, are pivoted to a com- -mon rod,f, to which, at one end, is swiveled according to the direction and extent of thel vibratory movement of the levers the movable side 'D of the box is caused to approach orl recede from'the other side, E, to thel degreev desired. The comb is set upright on baseplate between the two rails or sides D E of the box; and in order that it may expand and contract equally to each side of the center, it

should be fastened at that point to the box, for which purposethepintle or'hinge-pin which unites its middle' sections (indicated atm) may be' set or fixed in the base-plate G. Wh'cnthe side or rail E ismoved toward the other side, D, the box is narrowed andthe comb conse quently isexpanded, its sections being forcedl to stand at a more obtuse angle to one kanother. Whenthe side E is moved inthe opposite direction 'the box widens, and conse quently the sections can' stand at a lessobtuse angle to one another, thus contracting thecombv and bringing more dents into the yworking1 Jrield.

The rail E forces the expansion ofthe comb" by bringing pressure against it at the joints;

but it only permits the contraction. 1t is requi-v site therefore to employ some means of compelling the combsections to follow the move-l ment ofthe receding rail. To this endl make use of spiral springs t', each fastened at one endto one section andatthe other end tothe next adjoining section, so as to span the angle be" Thesesprings areput 'my hand this 23d day of September, 1881.

tween the two sections.

under tension when vthe comb expa'nds,'andy consequently canse its contraction to the extent permitted by the rail E. This spring arrangement is convenient, simple, and effective. Other arrangements, however, manifestly'may be made use of for the same purpose, and with the same effect. I do not therefore restrict 'myself to the arrangement shown in the draw- 1n gs.

It will be seen that the less obtuse the angle at which the sections stand to one another the greater the number of dents or teeth brought within a given length of comb, so that by varying the angle at which the sections are lplaced with respect to each other any desired number of dents may be brought into the working field. It will also be observed that the ex'pansionrand contraction are the same for -every part of the comb.

Having described my invention and the best way, on the whole, known to mev of carrying the same into effect, I observe, in conclusion, thatthe mechanical details of construction may be considerably varied without departure from my invention. I do not therefore confine myself to the particular instrumcntali'ties herein shown; but

What 1 claim as of my own invention is as follows: y

l l. A11-expansion comb or reed for warpingmachines and other purposes, consisting of a series of dent-carrying sections hinged tohereinbefore set forth.

2.The comb sections hinged together and 'provided with dents or teeth, in combination Withspr'ings connected to adjoiningsections, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbe'fore'set forth. i

v 3. An expansion-comb composed ofsections hinged together and armed with den ts or teeth,

in combination with a comb box or holderyand means, substantially as described, for setting vthe comb-"sections at varying angles with re-v 'spect to one another, substantially asand for the'purposes hereinbefore set forth.

4.- 'l`he comb-sections providedwith dents and hinged together, in vcombination with a Vcomb-box having vone side or rail movable to and' from the other, so asv tonarrow and widen the box, means for 'adjusting the same, and springs which m'ove the comb-sections in adirection opposite to that in which they are lmoved by the movable box side or rail.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set THOMAS C. ENTWISTLE.

Witnesses:

t AALBERT M. MOORE, Y SIMEON G. LYFoRD.

gether, substantially as and for the purposes 

